1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sliding roof with at least one slidable and optionally also raisable rigid cover element for selectively closing or at least partially exposing a roof opening of a motor vehicle in which the cover element is guided along at least one roof-mounted guide for a sliding motion between an open position and a closed position.
2. Description of Related Art
Sliding roofs are in extensive use in current motor vehicles in a host of configurations, for example, in the form of sliding roofs, sliding and lifting roofs, louvered roofs, etc. In the case of these types of roofs, the roof-mounted guide allows motion of mechanical parts of the movable cover(s) in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle (x-direction), however, it limits movements of these mechanical parts in the directions transversely to the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle (y-direction) and perpendicularly to the roof surface (z-direction). In the event of an accident in which generally the motor vehicle is strongly and suddenly braked in the x-direction, the movable roof parts, i.e., the mechanisms and attached parts, such as louvers or covers, accelerate forward in the x-direction.
In the roofs known from the prior art, mechanical parts and adjacent frame parts can be destroyed as a result of the high deceleration values which occur during an accident, and louvers as well as mechanical and frame parts can detach from the vehicle, and thus, represent a potential danger to motor vehicle occupants and other drivers and pedestrians (see, for example, published German patent applications DE-AS 23 09 320 and DE 31 51 778 A1, as well as German patent DE 32 23 300 C2).